1. Field of the Present Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to valve adjustment in internal combustion engines such as automobile engines, and more particularly to a guide strip that may be fixed to the engines damper wheel for visual positioning of the crankshaft enabling adjustment of the engine's valves.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 1,786,034, discloses an indicator comprising a rotatably mounted dial bearing indicia denoting the firing order of an internal combustion engine, indicating means coacting with the indicia, and electro-mechanical means for electrical connection to the ignition system of the engine and adapted to operate the dial to successively bring its indicia into register with the indicating means.
Schoenleber, U.S. Pat. No. 2,837,713, discloses a means for timing the ignition in an internal combustion engine of the type having a fan belt pulley adapted to be moved in synchronism with the crank shaft, a pointer carried by the pulley and formed of conducting material, a dial of conducting material carried adjacent the pulley and in close proximity to the path of travel of the pointer, the dial being insulated from the engine and the pulley and having an indexing mark, adapted to coincide with the pointer when a piston of the engine is at top dead center, and an electrical connection between the ignition system and the dial for electrifying the dial when a spark would normally occur with respect to the top dead center, piston so that a spark occurs between the dial and the pointer, enabling thereby the advance or retard of the spark to be observed in the relationship to the indexing mark while the engine is running.
Ansteth, U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,446, discloses an improved degree wheel which is adjustably rotatable relative to the crankshaft on which it is carried. The wheel can be easily adjusted so that a zero degree reading corresponds to top dead center of piston travel. Much of the calculation necessary to determine cam phasing, cam lobe centerline, valve overlap, and the like is thereby eliminated. The degree wheel preferably includes counterclockwise 0-360 degree indicia for a direct and calculation-free determination of the duration of tappet lift.
Imajo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,107, discloses a valve clearance adjustment method effective in improving smoothness of an idle operation of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine at a low engine speed. This method features steps of selecting a crankshaft angle where one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve is seated while the other valve is being lifted from its seated position, and conducting the adjustment of a valve clearance for the seated valve at this crankshaft angle.
Vojtisek-Lom U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,019 discloses an improved mass emissions measuring system for an internal combustion engine. In the preferred embodiment, the system is comprised of a particulate monitor, four sensor which may be temporarily attached to the engine for sensing operating parameters of the engine, an engine-control interface, a processor programmed to collect and manipulate data from the monitor and the sensors and/or engine-control interface, a display for displaying the particulate emissions of the engine, an exhaust sampling system which is adapted to be temporarily connected between the exhaust system of the engine and the particulate monitor, and an opacity meter. The particulate monitor may comprise a first photometer, a second photometer, an impactor located upstream from the second photometer, whereby the impactor limits the size of particulates in the exhaust of the engine communicating with the second photometer, and a microbalance adapted to measure the mass of the particulate matter in the exhaust communicating with the photometer. The system is adapted for use on-board a moving vehicle.
The related art described above discloses ways and means for more easily making adjustments to the valves of a piston engine. However, the prior art fails to disclose an adherent strip for attachment to a damper wheel, where the strip having markings for visual alignment of the several cams of the engine for improved valve adjustment. The present disclosure distinguishes over the prior art providing heretofore unknown advantages as described in the following summary.